At its meeting on June 28, Sweetwater Authority (Authority) named Catalina Schultz of National City this year’s winner of the WaterSmart Landscape Contest. Schultz’s landscape demonstrates how homeowners can create a beautiful, California-friendly landscape using less water.
When Schultz purchased her house in 2011, the front yard was covered in turf that took lots of effort, and water, to maintain. She decided to reinvent her yard, planning out a space full of low water-use plants, stepping stones and decorative planters.
The transformed landscape includes several flowering plants and shrubs like Sedum, Oleander and Aeonium. The yard also features a vast variety of cacti and succulents, including Elephant Bush, Ghost Euphorbia, Jade, Cholla Cactus and more.
Schultz now waters her yard only once a month when needed. A passionate gardener, she prefers to water each plant by hand, using water collected from her rain barrel. By switching from turf to water-wise plants, Schultz saves an estimated 12,000 gallons of water each year.
“Ms. Schultz’s landscape transformation clearly demonstrates that investing in a water-wise landscape can add beauty to your home, while providing big savings on your water bill,” said Board Chair Hector Martinez. “The Authority is here to provide rebates, resources and support to any customer interested in investing in a low water-use landscape.”
The annual WaterSmart Landscape Contest is an opportunity for Authority customers to showcase their best, water-wise landscapes. All customers who have transformed their yards to be more water efficient are encouraged to enter the contest for the chance to win a $250 gift certificate.
